A Rough Beginning
by Newfi Girl
Summary: Take a look at what Nikita's life was like before Division got involved. See where she grew up and how she eventually ended up on Division's radar. Rated M for violence.
1. The Beginning

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Nikita or any of the characters.**_

**Chapter 1: The**** Beginning**

A small female laid in bed quietly, her breathing barely audible in the dark. She held the comforter tight to her body, as if the torn sheet offered a layer of comfort and protection. The room contained a musky scent, which radiated from a pile of dirty clothes in the far corner. They should have been washed three days ago, but instead the pile had been growing larger and larger each evening. The t-shirt and shorts that remained stuck to the girl's skin were damp with perspiration, causing her to shift positions every few minutes out of pure discomfort. She wanted to wash the small amount of clothes that she possessed, but every second of her day was consumed by a rather unpleasant man, leaving little time for her own needs.

A small whimper escaped through her chapped lips when the door to her room busted open, hitting the wall so hard that a hole was made by the doorknob. The bedroom was suddenly flooded with light, forcing the young girl to shut her eyes tight and draw the comforter over her head. Heavy footsteps quickly made their way towards the bed and the comforter was yanked away within seconds and thrown across the small room. The bulky figure that loomed over the bed reached forward and grabbed a large section of the girl's hair, yanking her up into a sitting position with his face inches from her own.

"Nikita, what they hell were you thinking?" he questioned roughly, gripping the strands of her hair even tighter. A second whimper escaped her lips, this time from pain and fear combined. The smell of alcohol littered his disgusting breath.

"What are you talking about, Gary?" she asked honestly while trying to gain some personal space. Her struggle did no good. Her foster father was much stronger, although very out of shape. As he forced himself closer out of rage, his beer belly jammed against Nikita's abdomen.

"Have you lost your mind? You go to bed and leave me to wash the dishes!" he spat out, the words coming through as an enraged statement rather than a question.

"I washed mine!" she shot back. She regretted her tone as soon as the words left her mouth. Gary yanked Nikita's head back roughly, causing it to slam against the headboard of the bed. Her head spun and small stars invaded her vision.

"You know to wash _all _of the dishes! Including mine!" he snarled.

"You weren't home. I left your dinner on the table. I didn't know I had to stay up and wait for you!" she defended herself in a small voice. Nikita's dark eyes were filled with recognizable fear and pain.

"I don't wash dishes! You are the woman! You belong in the kitchen, Nikita! You wash the dishes and you do as I say!" he voiced loudly, shoving her down onto the bed. Nikita quickly scooted away from him once he let her go, holding a quivering hand to the back of her pounding head. Gary clenched his fists at his sides, clearly debating whether to punish the young girl for her stupidity further.

"I-I'm sorry…" Nikita trailed off, at a loss for words. Gary was beyond drunk and in this state, there was no calming him down. She simply had to take what he dealt.

He gave her a disbelieving look and stalked forward, shoving her off the bed and onto the splinted wood below. Nikita landed with a loud thud, but recovered quickly. She forced her back against the bed as Gary stalked over and grabbed the collar of her stained shirt, pulling her roughly to her feet.

"Get your a** out there and clean the dishes! Once you're finished, leave. You can sleep outside tonight!" he snarled as he shoved her though the door.

Nikita's eyes widened at his words. She had only been forced to sleep outside once before and it wasn't pleasant. They lived in a bad neighborhood where disgusting people stalked the streets. Many carried guns and she could easily be killed.

"Gary, please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Just…"

Nikita was cut off with a hard blow to her right cheek. The punch sent her sailing a few feet away before she hit the ground. The air left Nikita's lungs when she fell. She tried to catch her breath, but barely could because of the intense pain in her jaw.

"Do as I say!" he yelled again. His voice seemed to echo through the house, pounding against Nikita's eardrums.

Nikita nodded meekly and crawled to her feet before jogging into the kitchen. After she finished washing Gary's dishes, he ran her out of the house and locked the door behind her. She stood with her back pressed against the brick, fear swarming through ever fiber in her body. The pain in Nikita's head and jaw made her sick to her stomach.

Momentarily forgetting the dangers that lurked in dark streets, Nikita ran into a nearby alley across the street and relieved her stomach of the few bites of food she had stolen while Gary was out earlier that evening. She rarely received food and her protruding ribs and hipbones confirmed that fact.

Nikita composed herself after the nausea went away and stumbled over to a nearby dumpster, where she squeezed herself behind the putrid object. She tried not to think about the bugs and rodents that made themselves comfortable around her.

Trembling slightly, she slid down into a sideways fetal position, her arms wrapped tightly around her bare legs. The wind offered a chilly breeze that sent chill bumps over Nikita's tanned skin. She closed her eyes tight and pictured herself somewhere better, somewhere safe. The imaginary places eventually lulled the young girl into a restless sleep. The pain had to stop. She had make it stop.

**Well, I hope you liked it! Sorry this chapter is short. The next will be longer. Please review and tell me what you think.** **Thanks!**


	2. A Change

_**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own any of the Nikita characters or the show. If I did, there would be so many more seasons!**_

**Chapter 2: A Change**

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_Nikita slept behind the dumpster as soundly as was possible, only waking up every half hour or so._ _She wasn't ever able to relish in a deep sleep, but the amount she managed to obtain caused the dark circles under her eyes to lighten a bit. _

_At about 4:00 in the morning, voices filtered through the night air, floating down the alleyway and into Nikita's subconscious. She forced her tired eyes open, instantly cringing at the horrid smell that radiated from the dumpster. She was sure that she smelled worse than any trash truck driver ever could. _

_She was brought to full attention by a group of voices losing more and more distance from her. There was laughter and slurred words, indicated the whoever was out there was drunk. Nikita pressed herself firmly against the brick wall, fear bubbling up in the pit of her stomach. If she didn't make any noise, maybe they would just go away._

_As she tried to push herself further against the wall, her right foot slipped and kicked a coke can that had fallen under the dumpster. The aluminum clanked loudly against the concrete and appeared on the other side of the dumpster. The voices that Nikita had heard fell silent for a moment._

_"Go check it out," a deep voice muttered._

_There was a scuffling of footsteps and suddenly, a young man was standing on one end of the dumpster, his shaded face staring directly at Nikita. _

_"It's a girl," the man told his friends, a menacing chuckle leaving his mouth with the three words. "Help me move the dumpster."  
_

_There were more footsteps and three other guys appeared. Two gripped one end and the other two grabbed the opposite end. It took a few seconds, but the heavy green metal began to moan and groan in protest, slowly moving forward._

_Nikita's eyes widened in fear as the guys made enough room for themselves and then stalked towards her, devilish smirks on their faces._

_"Just leave me alone!" Nikita begged, her head jerking back and forth between each pair._

_"It's that kid from across the street. Um... Nadia..." one of them trailed off, leaning down to be eye level with her. Nikita scooted as far away as she could.  
_

_"Nikita," the main guy corrected; the one with the deep voice. _

_"C'mon guys, lets have some fun tonight," the fourth one chuckled, moving in towards her small form with the other three. _

_"Stop! Please!" she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks and soaking the neckline of her shirt. _

_"Don't worry. It'll be fun, Nikita," the leader chuckled._

_Nikita...Nikita...Nikita...NIKITA! _

_She screamed._

"Nikita!" a harsh voice yelled.

She jolted awake, banging her head on the side of the dumpster by mistake. She yelped and grabbed her bruised scalp, glaring daggers in the direction of the voice.

"Get your a** in here!" Gary continued loudly.

Nikita sighed and shoved her arms under her body, slowly pushing herself up into a standing position. Everything ached horribly and the migraine throbbing in her head didn't help things. She straightened her t-shirt and shorts out the best she could before making her way out from behind the dumpster and back across the street. Gary shoved her through the door when she was within arms length and closed the door behind them.

"Get breakfast started. I have places to be today," he told her sharply, making his way back up the stairs.

_Yeah right, 'things'. More like going to a bar and getting drunk out of your mind again,_ Nikita thought to herself.

Nevertheless, she grabbed two eggs out of the fridge and put them on the stove, making them scrambled just as Gary liked them. While they were sizzling, Nikita fried two pieces of toast and slathered them in butter, finishing them off with a bit of grape jelly. The eggs were ready by that time, so she dumped them onto a plate with the toast, added pepper and salt, and then set the dish on the table for her foster father. She was beyond tempted to spit in the food, but thought better of it.

Nikita finished the meal off by pouring a glass of orange juice and placing it beside the dish, along with all the silverware he would need.

As Gary came stumbling back down the stairs, she took in how horrible he looked. Even after his attempt at getting ready, his hair was a mess and the clothes he wore were sloppy. A beer stain littered the front of his shirt which protruded outward from his beer belly underneath.

"Out girl," he spat, shoving her towards the kitchen doorway as he walked past. Nikita's dark eyes bared hatred into his back before she turned around and left the kitchen, making her way back upstairs to her bedroom.

Once inside the familiar space, Nikita let out a deep breath. She hated Gary and this house with all her being, but her room was the one place she felt safe. Nikita locked the door behind her and peeled off the disgusting shirt and shorts that stuck to her skin with perspiration. There was a shower she desperately wanted to use down the hall, but she would only clean up after Gary left.

Exhausted and sore, Nikita slumped down onto her bed and wrapped herself in the beige comforter, shielding her bare arms, legs, and abdomen from the chilly air. The fan circled full blast overhead, but she didn't dare turn it off for fear of the musty stench getting worse.

Nikita ended up drifting off into a light slumber without really meaning to. When she woke up, the clock on her nightstand ready 11:00a.m. She had been asleep for a good two hours.

Slowly and quietly, Nikita slipped out of bed and over to the one window her room possessed. She peeked through the tacky blinds and sighed in complete relief when she found that Gary's truck was gone.

Wasting no time, she grabbed the pile of dirty clothes in the corner of her room and jogged downstairs to the laundry room. It had been four long days since Gary had left the house. She needed to use his absence to her full advantage.

Nikita threw the stinky bundle of fabric into the washer and set the machine for the longest wash cycle possible. While the washer did its job, the young girl scurried back upstairs and took a long, scalding hot shower. The warm water felt unbelievable against her goose-bumped skin.

The muddy water that flowed around her feet and down the drain eventually turned clear, indicating that she had finally managed to get all of the muck and grime off. By the time she reluctantly turned the tap off, the water was beginning to run cold anyway.

Wrapping a towel around herself, Nikita went into her bedroom and took out the only clean outfit she had left aside from the ones in the washer. She slipped into a pair of black, ankle-length tights and a red t-shirt that fit a size too large.

As she let her hair down and ruffled it with the towel to get a bit of the water out, a content moan escaped her parched lips. She hadn't felt this clean and good in over a month. The long strands of wavy hair were thrown up into a messy bun before the teenager cleaned up the bathroom and made her way back downstairs. She threw her clothes in the drier quickly and then scrambled into the kitchen.

As if agreeing with her, Nikita's empty stomach growled loudly in anticipation of gaining food. She didn't plan on eating anything of value, as that would only anger Gary more. Plus, there wasn't much that Gary ate that Nikita would dare touch. She was a vegan, which made getting food into her thin stomach even more difficult.

There were plenty of Vegan meals that Nikita knew of, but Gary didn't have near enough ingredients to make any of them. Instead, she grabbed a banana, apple, peach, and mango, throwing all four fruits into the rundown blender that Gary owned. Nikita added a bit of water and ice to the mix before holding the top down securely and starting the blender. It took a few minutes, but she eventually ended up with a perfectly good fruit smoothie. The young girl preferred vegi shakes, but couldn't afford to be too picky. She poured the contents of the blender into a glass and then sipped on the treat with high satisfaction.

After the first few sips, Nikita's stomach began to grow queasy. She hadn't had a good meal in so long that her stomach had trouble beginning the digestion process. Refusing to let the meal come back up, Nikita took a seat at the kitchen table and waited out the nausea, bent on getting something in her before Gary returned home.

As she had expected, the sickness eventually passed and Nikita was able to sip down the rest of her smoothie without too much difficulty or hesitation. The small treat did her stomach justice and filled it up completely.

The smoothie glass, blender, and Gary's dishes were all washed, dried, and tucked away before Nikita grabbed her clothes from the drier and carried them upstairs, the warmth and fresh smell from the fabric brightening her spirits.

She put her things away in the dresser across from her bed and then opened her window, allowing the fan to circulate some of the musky odors outside. Nikita was able to breath a bit easier only minutes later, the fresh air filling her lungs with clean oxygen.

Nikita moved over to the calender that hung on the back of her door. The month was October and a large star marked the box labeled the fifth. Today was the fourth, making tomorrow Nikita's sixteenth birthday.

Unlike most kids, Nikita didn't grow excited. Instead, she drew away from the calender and crawled back into bed. Gary knew when Nikita's birthday was and made the special day a living nightmare every year. He never wanted her to feel special or loved. Rather, he wanted her to feel basically like a slave. He owned her and she had to listen to him. That was it.

Nikita never received presents and didn't expect the special day to even be mentioned. If Gary did bring it up, he would only taunt her about the fact that her age didn't change anything. She still belonged to him.

Her former foster mother, Caroline, would sometimes give Nikita little things for her birthday when Gary wasn't watching. She to had been afraid of the horrid man, her own husband. Just as it didn't faze him to lay a hand on Nikita, it had never fazed him to lay a hand on his wife either.

Caroline had escaped Gary's abuse, though. Her life had been taken by breast cancer about four months ago. Although Caroline hadn't been the best woman in the world, Nikita missed her. They had never been close, but Caroline had been someone that Nikita could relate to in terms of how she was forced to live.

Once her foster mother passed, Gary's abuse increased towards Nikita. The young teen suffered many brutal beatings in the first month following Caroline's death, but he eventually laid off. His alcohol consumption often made Gary weak and unable to care for himself, so he needed Nikita to care for him. As much as she would have liked to see him suffer, Nikita was forced to do everything for the ungrateful man.

The memories and thoughts enraged Nikita to the point where she wanted to break everything in the room, but she steadied her breathing and calmed herself down before doing something she would regret. The teen's eyes darkened, changing from liquid brown to a deep night black.

Something had to change or give. She couldn't keep living like this. She simply wouldn't.

With a new age would come change. Nikita just needed to figure out what that change was going to be.

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**Well, how did you like this chapter? It is longer, as I promised. Let me know what you think and thanks so much for reviewing!  
**


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